Archive for November 2009

Do credentials and hard work count for anything here? Foreign job applicants for teaching jobs in Korea know that appearance does matter when applying for a job as photos are required along with a resume. This post gives some tips on how NOT to take a photo for a job submission.

I mentioned somewhere that a photo is required for Korean job seekers as well. If you ever look at a couple of Korean resumes, you’ll see that that they all look the same and they have a spot on the top right for a typically bland photo.

Unfortunately, as evil recruiters who work for the school, we too must take into consideration an applicant’s appearance. Again, not saying that you have to have supermodel looks. Even if you don’t fit ‘society’ mold’ of a good-looking person, you can always make yourself marketable with a nice looking pic.

The below rings somewhat true:

Preferences for a facial contour differs according to the kind of they look for. Aspiring flight attendants or TV presenters prefer a small, oval face, while those applying jobs in banking or teaching want a face that gives a sense of softness and decency.

If you’re looking for an applicant for a job that requires face-to-face customer service then yes, appearance is important. Teaching however, is kind of tricky. You definitely want someone who looks friendly and outgoing but sometimes schools ask for too much. How about experience and good references? Does that count for anything these days?

A Korean man was fined 1 million won ($855) Friday for insulting an Indian professor. This is the first time in Korea that a person has been punished for racist remarks.

The Incheon District Court fined the 31-year-old man, identified as Park, for humiliating the foreigner through abusive and racial language on a bus in July.

After the incident, the 28-year-old Indian professor Bonojit Hussain accused Park of calling him “dirty” and “smelly.” Initially, police allegedly discouraged Hussain from filing a complaint but he persisted. Human rights groups also launched a fact-finding team to investigate the case.

Police filed a personal insult charge against Park as there is no appropriate clause in Korea’s Criminal Law against this kind of an offense.

According to Hussain, Park even insulted his Korean female friend, who was traveling with him on the bus asking whether she is happy to date a black man.

Following the incident, civic activists formed an anti-racism committee and asked the human rights watchdog agency to look into the case.

Some lawmakers have been pushing for a bill to ban discriminatory practices against foreigners based on either color or nationality.

The case has raised awareness of racial issues in the country where 1.2 million foreigners reside.

Fine is peanuts but at least it will set an example that ignorance will not be tolerated (I hope).

Well, I know American Thanksgiving passed already but better let than never. Since most people have Thursday, Friday, and the weekend off to spend with friends and family, it’s been incredibly slow over the past few days. Could use the break regardless. I usually get around 150 emails a day but it’s been down to about 20 on Thursday and Friday.

Josh suggested that I post what recruiters think is an ‘undesirable candidate’. I’ve mentioned in many of my posts the types of candidates that piss recruiters off the most here, here, here, here, and here.

However, I’ll condense it here.

1. Unflexible candidates – I only want Gangnam, minimum 2.5, and a 3-bedroom apartment overlooking the Han. In times like this when recruiters have an abundance of candidates (many willing to go anywhere), you can be sure candidates like this will go the bottom of the priority list.

2. Candidates who think that they are the only person the recruiter is working with. Mint resumes mentions this in this posting and it bears so true for the industry here. First of all, we work for the schools. Secondly, we’re (at least I am) working with over a hundred candidates at any given time (sometimes much more). While we will try to address your questions/concerns, keep in mind that you’re not the only one.

3. Candidates who expect too many things/changes too far into the process. Before you commit to a position, ask the recruiter a lot of (reasonable) questions, ask the recruiter for contact info of a current instructor and ask them a bunch of questions too, and make sure that you are fully aware of and understand the contract and working conditions. Don’t say that you want to change locations when the visa is in process. This pretty much you have to start the process all over again if immigration opened your transcripts (you won’t get your criminal check back). This is just one example.

4. Candidates that expect you or the school to make changes to the working conditions and/or contract. If you don’t like the contract offered to you, just go to the next one. You can’t accept it and say ‘I only want to work from 9 to 5’ when the hours are 3 to 10. You can’t say that you only want to teach middle/high school when the contract calls for you to teach kindergarten. Where in the world can you ask for these provisions in a job? Sounds silly? You wouldn’t believe the number of candidates that try to pull this with me.

5. Candidates that put no effort into their resume and/or photo. I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll say it again. Sell yourself and make yourself desirable to be a sellable instructor! Spruce up your resume and take out all the garbage. Smile in your photo and put on some decent clothes. It’s very competitive right now so think of what you can do to make you look better than the next candidate. Don’t think for a minute that you’ll get a job instantly just because you speak English and have a degree.

If it’s a one day thing that gives unbiased insight into Korean culture, then I personally wouldn’t have a problem with it. However, it seems to imply that there will be several sessions.

Seriously, what are they going to teach at these things? Why late payments are okay because the school is losing a lot of students (ahh, but you must understand Korean culture!?). How about unreasonably long and useless meetings, extra classes, and pimping you to another school in your off time? (anything for you boss ’cause I want to work here forever!!). Unfortunately, instructors learn ‘Korean culture’ very quickly on their own when they go through injustices like this (not everyone but a lot) so perhaps the government is going to try to justify these ‘faults’ to save face.

Cho indicated that he is seeking programs that will help native English instructors better understand local culture and also improve their teaching skills.

How the hell is understanding the culture going to make you a better teacher?!? Money is better spent elsewhere. It should be up to the schools to offer a culture course (not courses) dealing with an unbiased perspective on Korean culture (like not blowing your nose in public, etc.) to ensure that the instructor has a basic idea of what to expect/not expect.

Couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the title of this thread. Ukon pretty much stated the facts very simply:

A recruiter is like a travel agent…he can’t force the client to accept your pal.

No matter how much money you give a recruiter, if you’re an ‘undesirable’ candidate, he won’t be able to place you so put away your wallet.

If anything, it would be the schools that should be bribing the recruiter for an exceptional instructor. For all you newbies out there remember: you don’t have to pay a recruiter squat. They work for the school, not you. However, as I had mentioned several times, it’s in their best interest to serve your needs as best as possible.

Yeah, I know it’s on my blogroll and I do read it everyday but it has some of the shoddiest journalism I ever came across. It’s really an insult to all expats in Korea. I’m not going through all the garbage that they write ’cause that will take forever but Brian Deutsch’s blog has a plethora of laughable “journalism”. Not only that, they need to fire their editor: